Editor in Chief Monique Jones
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EDITOR'S NOTE
Hello, reader! Welcome back! Last month was
all about looking back at 2015 and looking
ahead to a hopefully brighter 2016 (which is
now debatable, seeing how January brought us
the deaths of many beloved celebrities,
including the deaths of Natalie Cole and David
Bowie).
This month is all about love. It’s the month of
love, after all, so why not indulge in that
feeling that can be so great and so paininducing at the same time? But,
COLORBLOCK Magazine isn’t getting too
lovey-dovey when discussing love; you know
the magazine has to look at things from a
cultural perspective. In this issue, we’re
examining how LGBT and interracial
relationships are portrayed in the media. We’re
looking at stats, critiquing films and television,
discussing the meta readings of on-screen
relationships, the Star Wars fandom and their
favorite meta-textual relationship, and much,
much more. It’s an exciting issue, to be sure.

There will be more love talk at
COLORBLOCK’s home, JUST ADD COLOR

Monique Jones

(colorwebmag.com). We’ll discuss more
interracial relationships that aren’t mentioned in this article, other fandom pairings, LGBT relationships in television
including Steven Universe and Sailor Moon, and more.
Coming up soon will be a dive into America’s history of racial propaganda and how that history ties into today’s
#OscarsSoWhite debate. There’s a reason Hollywood goes back to old tropes, and why society chooses to believe such
tropes. The middle ground of propaganda proves that entertainment, images, and a society’s view of the truth go handin-hand. Look out for that.
I hope you enjoy this issue! Happy Valentine’s Day (or, if you’re currently going stag or doe, Happy Singles Day)!

LGBT
For decades, entertainment has focused on romance between a man and a woman,
while people that fall outside of that range would be depicted as flighty, snidely,
untrustworthy, or cartoonish. Nowadays, things have changed. There is now a variety
of people and their romances represented in the media. But now the question is when
will there be even more representation? When will entertainment properly and equally
represent all couples in their audience? And, as for the romantic couples represented
on TV and film now, is that representation of any quality?

the

Heart
break
of

LGBT

Representation
There’s a lot of diversity in entertainment nowadays. Or is there? To say there’s

“lots of diversity” in the media is to at once tell the truth and to lie. While the
amount of non-white faces has increased in television and that the biggest movie
of 2015, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, had a good portion of its cast played by
non-white actors, the fight for diversity still wages on, and not just

“diversity” in a

racial sense. There’s also the fight for LGBT characters and relationships to be
shown with as much regularity as straight characters and their relationships.

To get a good look at how LGBT characters and LGBT relationships have fared
on the TV and film, let’s take a look at some of the stats GLAAD has compiled
between 2012 and 2015.
Viola Davis and Famke Janssen in the Nov. 5, 2015 episode
of How to Get Away with Murder, "I Want You to Die."
Photo credit: John Fleenor/ABC.

Taking a look at the stats from the 2012-2016 GLAAD

LGBT TV
STATS

reports, television has done much better job of
showcasing LGBT lives and love than the movies.
However, when you take a look at the actual numbers,
the truth is that television has done a better job of
showcasing the lives of gay white men rather than all
members of the LGBT community.

The biggest trend across the reports is that on the
whole, gay white men make up half or more than half
of the LGBT characters portrayed on television.
Meanwhile, lesbian characters specifically usually
make up half or less than half of LGBT characters;
bisexual characters make up a paltry amount usually in
the single-digit or barely double-digit numbers, but
still more than transgender characters, who usually
comprise about 2% of the LGBT character population.

On the whole, LGBT characters still comprise a small
amount of the overall television character landscape.
With a usual 96% straight character representation on
television, only about 4% is comprised of LGBT
characters.

The regularity to which LGBT characters are shown in
relationships seems to be increasing, what with shows
like Modern Family, Rosewood, Empire, Transparent,
How to Get Away with Murder, Orange is the New
Black and The 100, among others, showing gay
relationships in a wide spectrum of emotion and depth.
Overall, it seems television has shied away from the
idea that LGBT people are the butts of jokes;
increasingly, these characters are finally being
portrayed with the same nuance that their straight
counterparts have been for given for decades.
However, there’s still lot that needs to be done.
Bisexual, transgender, and lesbian relationships still
aren’t shown at the rate that gay male relationships
are, and if they are shown, they’re typically
relationships featuring white individuals. Rosewood,

Empire, and How to Get Away with Murder are some
of the standouts for their portrayals of non-white or
interracial LGBT relationships, featuring LGB and T
characters.

Film, on the other hand, has been lagging behind
television. Seriously. Between 2012 and 2014, the
number of films featuring LGBT characters is only 51
out of 317. That’s quite staggering. On top of that, the
representation has been skewed; much like in
television, the focus shifts primarily to gay white men,
with lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender characters,
not to mention any LGBT person who is also a person

LGBT FILM
STATS

of color, are criminally underrepresented.
The data also shows that the upward momentum in film
To go along with that, most LGBT characters are still

and TV is still at a snail’s pace. In order for

found in comedies instead of other genres of film. This

representation to exponentially grow, some studio is

could be because LGBT characters have historically

going to have to make the plunge. For instance, if it ever

been reduced to stereotypical farce as a way to

“other”

decided to listen to the very vocal portion of the fandom

them against the straight, normalized characters.

about same-sex relationships in film, it could

However, Tangerine, a film featuring transgender

very well be in Disney’s court to be

characters played by transgender actors and featuring

that pioneering studio. If Disney won’t be the first, one

complex love and friendships (particularly the

of the other big studios will; regardless, after that

friendship between Mya Taylor and Kitana Kiki

particular studio steps up to the plate and succeeds, then

Rodriguez's characters Alexandra and Sin-Dee), has

the others will fall in line. Another way the status quo

been critically acclaimed. It has also been confirmed

could change is by more indie films like

that Deadpool will be 20th Century Fox’s first film

Tangerine showing it's possible to create LGBT-based

starring a pansexual character, who is of course, the

films that are also lucrative investments. Or, change

lead character of the same name. Also, as you’ll read

could come as a combination of the two. The downside is

about later on, there’s been an astronomical push to

that it’s a shame that money has to be tied to a fight for

have Finn and Poe Dameron, the two main male

representation at all.

characters from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, to be
in a relationship, as well as have Rey, the main female
lead, be asexual and/or aromantic or lesbian.
However, with films like Star Wars (and to a lesser
extent, all of the films released from major studios), the
conventional worry is that a big player like Disney
won’t jeopardize their bottom line with countries like
China, who has stringent censorship laws, by having a
same-sex relationship. However, if Deadpool rakes in
the dough domestically as well as internationally,
especially if his sexuality comes into play in the film, it
could provide major studios enough leverage to
greenlight a same-sex relationship.

The patchiness of LGBT representation occurred due to several factors, such as cultural reticence, religious arguments,
and entertainment companies worried about their bottom line domestically and internationally. The voids in
representation have led to fans coming to their own rescue and creating alternate (and sometimes more accurate)
readings of characters and their love lives.

The process of finding alternate interpretations of the characters not only provides fans who feel neglected by the
entertainment world--such as LGBT fans and fans who are LGBT allies-- the ability to participate in their favorite film
or TV fandom, but also eases the anxiety created when an LGBT metatextual reading of a character, especially
characters who already have a foothold in discussions surrounding LGBT media, doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get the fair play it should in
canonical tellings or retellings of a story. Basically, meta readings, and the subsequent fan creations that result from
them, give fans the chance to tell the story from their point of view. They get to create a world that includes them in all
of their complexity by allowing the canonical characters to have complexity not originally given to them by their
original creators.
Sherlock Holmes and John Watson from Sir Arthur Conan Doyleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sherlock Holmes series of mysteries are two great
examples of when the canonical and meta worlds collide.

Canonically, Sherlock and John are friends, the most
classic example of platonic love and partnership.
However, the two characters have also been one of the
many touchstones of LGBT media theory, especially
where it concerns audience interpretation.

"Fans use these parallel worlds to explore what could
have been or might be, especially as regards sexualities
that have not found mainstream representation," wrote
Ashley O’Mara in her article,

“Queering LGBT
History: The Case of Sherlock Holmes Fanfic” for the
site, Metathesis (metaistheblog.com). "There is no
conclusive literary evidence that [Doyle] conceived of
his Sherlock and John as 'homosexual;' their
relationship presents as a romantic friendship although
those were going out of fashion when he was writing.

friendships comes around the same time the term

“homosexuality” was coined, which begs the question
as to why Doyle would still consider writing Sherlock
and John as a romantic friendship during such a
societal change.

Meta readings have also occurred with many of
today’s popular characters, such as characters in
Marvel’s cinematic and TV universe. There are tons of
fan creations centering around the close relationship
between Captain America and Bucky (aka the Winter
Soldier), Captain America’s other close relationship
with the Falcon, Iron Man and The Hulk’s friendship
(as shown in the Avengers movies), and the friendship
between Peggy Carter and waitress/aspiring actress
Angie Martinelli in Agent Carter, just to name a few.

Those interpretations, which explore asexuality,
aromanticism, bisexuality, and/or being gay, stem from
said queerbaiting, which include suggestive moments
in the BBC show, one of the biggest moments being
during Irene Adler’s introduction in Series 2, Episode
1, in which Irene basically makes a case as to why
John was actually falling in love with Sherlock without
realizing it by comparing John to herself. Both John
and Irene have considered themselves people who
weren’t interested in men, yet, as Irene points out, both
of them are very interested in Sherlock. There could
also be a level of retroactive queerbating, as it were,
happening within the original text itself; as O’Mara
noted, Doyle was writing of romantic friendship when
it was going out of style, with romantic same-sex
friendship being replaced with a higher level of
homophobia (at least among men; with women,
romantic friendship and full blown same-sex romance
was often overlooked by male society). The level of
reticence around romantic friendships comes around
the same time the term

“homosexuality” was coined,

which begs the question as to why Doyle would still
consider writing Sherlock and John as a romantic

Despite canon interpretations falling short of fandom
expectation, it’s beginning to be par for the course for
actors who are affiliated with the fandom to speak out
on behalf of their fans’ want for more inclusive
entertainment. For instance, to address the
Peggy/Angie fans, Peggy herself, Hayley Atwell, told
fans at last year’s Fan Expo Canada what Peggy and
Angie’s relationship meant to her.

“The thing that

stands out for me about Peggy and Angie is it's seldom
that you see on television friendship between two
women that isn't founded on the interest of a man,”
she said.

“There's a genuine affection that they have

for each other; whether or not you want to project the
idea that it's romantic or sexual is entirely up to you
and how you want to view it. I think there's a mutual
respect that's quite rare that I want to see more of in
film and stories.”
As you’ll read in the next article (about the meta
pairing of Star Wars: The Force Awakens characters
Finn and Poe Dameron), Captain America co-director
Joe Russo also states that he welcomes all
interpretations of Bucky and Cap’s relationship. Also
worth noting about the Star Wars pairing is that John
Boyega recently confirmed to ShortList writer Chris

Mandle that while the Poe/Finn pairing isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t canonical, it was definitely something that existed in the mind of
Oscar Isaac, who played Poe in the film.

With more and more actors co-signing fandom imagination, the day when there will be a mainstream LGBT
couple in genre films and television could be coming soon. Maybe not soon enough, to be honest, but still sooner
than originally thought possible.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens has indeed awakened the slumbering mass that is the Star Wars fandom, which has been
waiting for the franchise’s return to greatness. The film, starring and John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, and Oscar Isaac (as
well as the members of the original cast), has already surpassed Avatar as the highest-ever grossing U.S. film, and
surely, the film will reach even greater heights the longer it stays in the theaters.
While the film is being touted as a tour-de-force of nostalgia and a refreshed look at a

“galaxy far, far away,” the film

has also been an achievement in diversity due to having well-rounded and powerful female characters (with the

—while cool—will hopefully be fleshed out in upcoming

exception of Gwendoline Christie’s Captain Phasma, who

films) and two leads of color, Boyega and Isaac, who open the film. (The fact that their faces are the first faces we see in
the movie immediately cemented the film as a break away from Hollywood’s normal modus operandi.) Boyega and
Isaac’s characters, disillusioned ex-Stormtrooper Finn and Resistance fighter pilot Poe Dameron, have also acted as
ambassadors to another type of diversity not usually found in films; characters who might not only be on the LGBT
spectrum, but might also be in a same-sex relationship.

The clues start coming together after Isaac revealed
on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, albeit with a little
dry humor thrown in, that he was, in fact, playing
up a romantic angle with his character.

Normally, fandom character pairings, or
(short for

“ships”

“relationships”) don’t make headline

news. But Stormpilot not only lit up fan spaces like
Tumblr and Twitter, but also mainstream sites like
E! Online, Buzzfeed, Hypable, Vanity Fair, USA
Today, Metro, Pink News, Comic Book Resources,
The Mary Sue, Bleeding Cool, MoviePilot and
certainly many more.
Actors John Boyega and Oscar Isaac attend the European Premiere of the highly anticipated Star
Wars: The Force Awakens in London on December 16, 2015.
Photo credit: James Gillham/Sting Media (stingmedia.co.uk)

The fandom who propose Finn and Poe’s relationship
(named

“Stormpilot” or “FinnPoe”) to the masses

provide several clues as to why they thing Stormpilot
is possible. First, Poe gave Finn his name; instead of
continuing to call Finn

“FN-2187” during their escape

from Stormkiller Base, Poe immediately decides to
call him Finn, thus giving Finn a new identity and a
new lease on life. Second, Finn keeps Poe’s jacket
when, after the crash-land on Jakku, Finn assumes
Poe’s died in the crash. Third, Finn completes Poe’s
mission to get BB-8’s message to the resistance base.
Fourth, Finn and Poe passionately embrace after
realizing the other is alive and kicking after all.

All bets are off when Poe lets Finn keep his jacket,

“It suits you.” Poe, biting his own lip before
speaking, then says with bedroom eyes, “You’re a
good man, Finn.” The playful punch to Finn’s shoulder
saying

simply looks like a feeble attempt to cover up what
could be construed as obvious flirting.

Star Wars fan Stephanie wrote one of the many
pieces on Stormpilot for The Geekiary. The post,

optimism when it comes to how those outside of
the fandom ship world will accept Stormpilot’s
existence.

“The best thing about mainstream

…is that it normalizes queer romances,”
she wrote in her article. “…When all these outlets
coverage

are reporting on our fan activities as something
worth noting, it sends a powerful message to
studios that there’s an audience out there that wants
these narratives.” However, Stephanie notes in her
article, the usage of some outlets using the term

“bromance” when describing a ship that much
more than just friendship can be problematic and
awkward.

“The main issue with mainstream

media’s coverage of slash shipping is that, since
we’re so obscure and don’t often leave our isolated
communities, they don’t quite know how to talk
about it,” she wrote.

“Even worse, this can be an indicator
that mainstream press just doesn’t

immediately drawn to Poe Dameron.

know how to talk about queer

friends I was introduced to the idea of

the fandom is. Or maybe straight men

romance in general, even in regard to

shipping him with Finn within 24

are just getting comfortable enough to

non-fandom inspired pairings.”

hours of my first viewing and it didn’t

admit that these guys are kind of

take me very long to get on board with

perfect for each other. I’m not sure

unheard of). There might be more

When I got home and discussed it with visibility here because of how huge

Stephanie stated in an email interview that idea completely,” she wrote.

why there’s a higher visibility of

about her feelings behind her article.

“There are a lot of romantic tropes that

heterosexual men shipping Finn and

“I wrote my article because I was

code them as being in the early stages

Poe, but it’s definitely unique.”

feeling so heavily conflicted about the of a romance such as clothing sharing,
fact that this ship was getting such a

nicknames (or in Finn’s case, a name

Geek Girl Diva, another Star Wars fan

large amount of mainstream coverage

that isn’t a Stormtrooper number), and

onboard with Stormpilot, wrote a

so quickly. On the one hand, I’m

even that long dramatic run into each

similar response in an email interview

elated that a slash ship is getting

others arms when they realize the

to the fandom’s love for the pairing.

generally positive coverage. It helps

other isn’t dead. I’ve seen the film two

think people connect with both the

legitimize LGBTQ+ relationships in

additional times since my first viewing characters and how they are with each

general, and makes it possible for

with my slash goggles on and

other. Poe and Finn already have a

more visibility going forward. On the

everything just falls perfectly into

friendship that’s romantic in a sense,”

other hand, we don’t exactly have the

place.”

she wrote.

best track record with mainstream
press understanding fandom culture.

“I

“They fell into immediate

like with one another. You get the
Stephanie attributes Star Wars large

It often feels like we are being gawked fanbase for the reason Stormpilot

“I think

sense that both Boyega & Isaac would
be totally down with playing gay

at, made fun of, or just outright

became the phenomenon it is.

misrepresented,” she wrote.

a lot of what has drawn people to

faced admiration. I think people

really grateful that, so far, we haven’t

Stormpilot is what draws people to

connect to the deep liking these two

had any coverage that’s treated us

slash pairings in general, but on a

have for one another, and it’s not a

poorly. With any luck, we won’t and

much larger scale since the Star Wars

stretch to take it to the next level.”

all of my worrying will be for naught.

fandom is so huge. Many LGBTQ+

We definitely need to lose the term

people like myself enjoy queer

Geek Girl Diva was immediately a

‘bromance,’ though. Please. Romance
is romance and we don’t need to ‘bro’
it up to soften it. But that’s been my
only issue so far and it’s relatively
small compared to what’s been done
to us in the past.”

pairings because we just don’t get

part of the Stormpilot fanbase thanks

them that often in mainstream media.

to the ever-present chronicler of

It feels good to see characters that

fandom things, Tumblr.

“I’m

reflect our own sexuality off on
adventures,” she wrote.

“Many

heterosexual women are drawn to

characters and Isaac has a very open

“It was all
Tumblr, bless its shipping heart,” she
wrote. “Once I saw the meme, I fell in
love with the ‘ship.”

slash ships either because they like the
Stephanie didn’t immediately latch

idea of two men together in general, or The fact that so many people, men and

onto Stormpilot after her first viewing because these specific characters in

women alike, have latched onto

of The Force Awakens, but now sees

this specific story happens to speak to

Stormpilot could have implications for

the developing relationship as playing

them regardless of gender. The

how Disney and the Star Wars movie

on classic romantic beats.

“Unlike a

interesting thing is that I’ve seen many team goes forward, right? Or could

lot of my friends, I didn’t walk out of

straight men also shipping Stormpilot,

stuff stay at the status quo? With so

the theater shipping them right away.

which seems to be rare in a lot of my

many billions at stake, and with such a

I did, however, come out of the film

other slash pairings (though not

wide intersection of people in the Star

Wars fandom (some of whom aren’t

make a decision on that."

as open towards LGBT

the writers coding him as
heterosexual. But hey, it's possible that

representation), it’s difficult to say if

"Thanks to Chuck Wendig, there are

the people who are writing the next

Disney and Lucasfilm will take the

LGBTQ+ characters in the novels, but

couple of scripts could have a good

promise of diversity to the next level.

we are still lacking big screen

grasp on the idea that you can be

representation. I have a feeling that if

attracted to more than one gender at a

“I think [the mainstream press is]

they were planning for Poe and Finn to

time and we may get bisexual Finn

great, wrote Geek Girl Diva, adding,

be in an onscreen romance, that's

after all."

“As much as I love the ship (and I
love it like a house on fire), I don’t

already been decided and a petition
wouldn't sway that," wrote Stephanie.

Some news that's made the social

think Stormpilot is in the cards on the

"However, something like Poe's

media rounds is that Captain Phasma

big screen. But I do think Poe could

sexuality may still be negotiable and

will have an extended role in future

very well be gay and he’d be a perfect

we could have an affect on that. Poe's

films due to fan support. With the

way to bring an LGBT character into

sexuality hasn't been touched on and

amount of fan support Stormpilot has,

the Star Wars Universe.”

Oscar Isaac has been incredibly

it's in the realm of possibility that
Disney and Lucasfilm could

There has been a Change.org
petition asking Lucasfilm's
president Kathleen Kennedy
to include LGBT characters in
the new Star Wars films. When
it comes to whether the petition

"...Unfortunately we operate in a 'straight
until proven otherwise' mindset with the
majority of mainstream media, and the idea of
bisexuality seems particularly difficult for a
lot of writers to grasp."

think twice about the extent
of Poe and Finn's
relationship. But again, it's
tough to say since there's so
much money and
investment on the line.

could cause a rush of LGBT characters

supportive in interviews. He's treated

to enter the Star Wars film franchise is

the idea of two men in a romantic

"It's possible. Adding a few extra

difficult to say. But both Stephanie

relationship with respect and even said

interactions without rewriting an entire

and Geek Girl Diva point out that

he'd go for a rainbow colored

script isn't too huge, but if the

LGBT characters are already a part

lightsaber. This could all be joking, of

characters are written, say, on

of the franchise, if just in books and

course, but I get a strong vibe from

completely different planets for most

games.

him that he's supportive of our

of the film it may be hard," wrote

community. It's hard to explain why,

Stephanie when asked if she thought

"Lucasfilm has already made the jump

exactly, but these tidbits from his

there was a possibility for Disney and

into showing LGBT characters, first in

interviews don't feel like they

Lucasfilm to make fanon canon. "But

[Star Wars: The Old Republic] and

[Lucasfilm] are 'making fun' of us at

if we don't cause enough enthusiasm

then in a couple of the new canon

all."

for Episode VIII, there's always

books (Chuck Wendig's Aftermath

Episode IX. This is a trilogy and I'm

& Claudia Gray's Lost Stars)," wrote

"Finn's sexuality may be more difficult

sticking with Stormpilot for the long

Geek Girl Diva. "I don't know 100%

to sway. Unfortunately we operate in a

haul. Just have to keep my fingers

that Poe isn't already the lead into an

'straight until proven otherwise'

crossed that neither of them die in the

LGBT presence in the films. I think

mindset with the majority of

next film. That's pretty much the only

he might be, but it's a guess and

mainstream media, and the idea of

thing that'd put a nail in the coffin for

nothing more. That said, I do think

bisexuality seems particularly difficult

future interaction."

that the Stormpilot love could make it

for a lot of writers to grasp," Stephanie

easier for [Lucasfilm] to flip that

added. "With Finn expressing even a

Geek Girl Diva differs slightly on the

switch. But I'm not in a position to

moderate interest in Rey, this could be

issue. "On [Phasma returning to the

series], I think that was a bit different.

next level, Rey seems to be more

two orientations that don't describe a

Phasma caught fire for a few reasons

enamored with the idea of what Finn

lack of a person's desire for basic

and it's a lot easier to beef up her story

leads her to think he is; she's more

human affection, but just the levels to

than it is to add in a relationship

fascinated by the idea of him being a

which a person might desire affection

between two lead characters," she

part of the Resistance and belonging

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;shouldn't be used as a way to box a

wrote. "In the end, I think that's

to something great rather than him

character in at the expense of two

entirely up to [Episode VIII director

being an available guy. Also, she's

other characters' possible romantic

and Episode IX writer/director] Rian

more concerned with the mission at

relationship.

Johnson and the [Lucasfilm] Story

hand, getting BB-8 back to the base,

Group. It all depends on what the arc

rather than hooking up. The final

Such fear of Rey being a wedge

is for the trio in the larger story. I don't scenes find Rey not cementing a

between Poe and Finn should be left

think Disney & [Lucasfilm] will shy

romance with Finn, but with her

by the wayside, since directors are

away from any interaction, but I don't

kissing his forehead while he's in a

beginning to, at the very least, not

think they'll play it up just for fans. I

comatose state, a goodbye before she

write fans off for their non-canonical

think, in the end, the filmmakers will

heads to the island Luke Skywalker is

opinions. One example is Captain

do what they feel is the best fit for the

hiding on in the hopes of being

America co-director Joe Russo

trilogy and the story."

trained by him. Her new mission is to

stating in an interview (via Vanity

focus on her handling of the Force,

Fair) that while he has always

not being someone's girlfriend.

personally viewed Steve Rogers and

"If I have a personal hope, it's not for
Stormpilot (even though I love the
ship)," Geek Girl Diva added. "In a
perfect world, where we get diversity
of all kinds, we get a female lead, a
hetero interracial couple and a gay
character (maybe in a relationship
with a male alien? Let's think big!), all
of whom are great friends and join
together to defeat the Darkness. I can
work with that just fine."

If Poe and Finn do become canon,
what will Disney do about LGBT
representation for women? Of course,
the franchise will add characters to
subsequent films, but if fans want
someone from the main Big Three
characters, there seems to be a lot of
support for Rey being asexual and/or
aromantic. Much of the support for
Rey as being along the LGBT
spectrum seems to stem from the fact
that even though there's ample time
(and many open invitations from Finn)
for Rey to take their friendship to the

The call for making Rey along the
LGBT spectrum would naturally add
to the film franchise' commitment to
diversity, but there's also a smaller
contingent of the fandom who want
Rey to be lesbian, bi, or
asexual/aromantic simply at the
expense of removing her
characterization and forcing her into
the box of a spectator or as a
voyeuristic avatar for the fan
him/herself. Several fans on Tumblr
seem to imply that they want Rey to
be asexual and aromantic not for
reasons concerning diversity, but just
so she won't interfere with Poe and
Finn's possible relationship.
Asexuality and aromantic individuals
deserve to be showcased on the big
and small screens, which is what
happened on USA's Sirens, which
featured asexual paramedic Valentina
aka "Voodoo", who dated non-asexual
fellow paramedic Brian. But

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

asexuality and aromanticism

Bucky Barnes' relationship as
brotherly, he doesn't begrudge or
limit anyone else from their own
points of view. "People can interpret
the relationship however they want to
interpret it...People have interpreted
that relationship all kinds of ways,
and it's great to see people argue
about...what that relationship means
to them," he said. "We will never
define it as filmmakers, explicitly,
but however people want to interpret
it they can interpret it."

This movement towards fan
inclusivity, as well as actors like
Isaac suggesting he was playing at
romance with another male character,
means a lot when it comes to the
struggle to get proper LGBT
representation. But, as the Vanity
Fair article linked above points out,
the road towards true inclusivity
might be even longer than fans are
prepared for. However, something

can be said for progress happening in leaps and bounds after years of stuttering steps. Take a look at marriage equality;
it has taken over a decade to get marriage equality in a majority of the states, and then, one day, marriage equality was
nationwide with the swift smack of the Supreme Court's gavel. So who knows as to what kind of romantic future Finn
and Poe (or Rey) have. While we could be going to the theaters in 2017 with Finn in a relationship with a girl, we could
find Finn and Poe in same-sex relationships (if not with each other) and Rey exploring the universe of sexual identity
while she hones her Jedi skills. The ball is in Disney and Lucasfilm's court; let's see what play they make.

A view of the stage and screen during the World Premiere of Star Wars: The Force Awakens at the
Dolby, El Capitan, and TCL Theatres on December 14, 2015 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by
Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)

we saw she had a woman lover on
LGBT entertainment is still up
against a

“White Men’s Club” similar

the side. After Lucious provided
Hakeem with an antithetical point

The report also found that one in five

to the one the HRC is fighting. For

of view (i.e. viewing women lovers

staff members didn't see "diversity

instance, Ryan Murphy’s shows tend

as sex objects for male

and inclusion" as a necessary part of

to portray gay white men, especially

objectification, while denying his

the organization’s goals and values,

gay white men in relationships, in a

gay son Jamal the right of fatherly

and "[t]here is a general perception

reverent light, so much so that the

love), nothing more was done with

that current diversity efforts are not

storylines are swallowed up by

exploring Tiana’s life with her

working and that there's a lack of

needless scenes of inconsequential

other love. Instead, Tiana has been

diversity understanding broadly."

fluff. Blaine and Kurt from FOX’s

reduced to a minor character in the

Glee is one example, as is NBC’s The

second season (at least thus far).

Buzzfeed wrote that in the audit, one

New Normal characters David and

focus group member stated that

Bryan.

people who were "personally

Other characters, particularly
bisexual women, have been

invested" in diversity efforts had their

While their relationship was written

introduced solely as sexual objects.

opinions "smothered or pushed

with too much preciousness, other

Over the years, you’ll find that a

away." That feeling was backed up

main characters like their surrogate

show (pick any show) will have a

by the official findings, which called

Georgia and Bryan’s assistant Rocky

scene in which a man is at a bar or

the organization a "White Men's

Rhoades were treated either like dead

a wild party. During such a scene,

Club," specifically citing the culture

weight that wasn’t worth fleshing out

two women will make out for

being "rooted in a white, masculine

(in Georgia’s case) or like an over-

seemingly no reason. There’s no

orientation which is judgemental of

exaggerated

“Loud, Sassy Black
Woman” stereotype (in Rocky’s case;

exploratory device being attempted

all those who don't fit that mold,"
which includes treating women and

the name alone says it all). With both

out for the male audience. Probably

individuals, men and women, with

of these shows (and most certainly for

the most serious portrayal of a

what they described as "soft skills" in

Murphy’s FX anthology American

bisexual woman has been that of

a discriminatory fashion. "More than

Horror Story) women (lesbian, bi, or

Kalinda Sharma on CBS’ The

half of multiracial and Latino people

otherwise), and women of color are

Good Wife and Annalise Keating

and 83% of genderqueer people feel

treated with a broad, quasi-

on ABC’s How to Get Away with

they are not treated equally based on

stereotypical brush that makes them

Murder. On the flipside, there

their identity," the audit stated.

cardboard cutouts of other

hasn’t been a serious portrayal of a

stereotypical characters in the media.

bisexual man since Jack Harkness

HRC’s president, Chad Griffin, stated

Murphy’s latest FOX show, Scream

of BBC’s Torchwood.

to Buzzfeed that the organization had

Queens, has also had accusations of

already begun to tackle the problems

stereotyping leveled against it.

here; it’s just two women making

The Fosters is one of the strongest

shows featuring lesbian characters and
families spearheaded by same-sex
households. The two lead characters,
Stef and Lena Adams Foster, provide a
counterweight to immature portrayals of
lesbian characters on other shows. CW’s
The 100 deserves special commendation
as well for the relationship between
Clarke--a bisexual character--and Lena.
As writer/co-producer Kira Snyder told
AfterEllen, Clarke’s bisexuality is being
treated in a real-world way. [Bisexuality
Alicia Vikander

is] not...her defining characteristic, it's

and Eddie Redmayne

just something we also wanted to do and

in The Danish Girl.
Focus Features.

have t so it's not, 'Oh my gosh! It's a big
revelation!'...The way in which [the
relationship] unfolded was something
we were committed to treating
responsibly in a grounded way." Films
featuring lesbians and same-sex female
relationships have also been few and far
between, with the most recent ones
being Carol and 2010’s The Kids are
All Right.

Despite the work of Orange is the New
Black (featuring Laverne Cox) How to
Get Away with Murder (featuring the
history- making actress Alexandra
Billings), and Transparent (also
featuring Billings), films Tangerine and
The Danish Girl, and reality shows like
I Am Cait and I Am Jazz, there hasn’t
been much of an effort to showcase
transgender characters on television or

Even more rare in film and TV is the person who identifies with either
both genders or neither gender. The Prancing Elites Project is a good
example of a show that does showcase an individual who is a third
gender or genderfluid. Tim Smith, one of the Prancing Elites, dresses in
a female fashion and uses female pronouns, but doesn’t identify as
transgender. YouTube seems to be the best place to find a wide
spectrum of the LGBT community represented, such as YouTube star
Miles Jai, who dresses in a female fashion, but identifies as a gay male.

in film. And, in the case of I Am Cait,
which focuses on the life of Caitlyn
Jenner, some of the messaging has been
seen as counterintuitive to the cause,
particularly since much has been made
of Jenner’s bizarre reluctance towards
same-sex marriage rights and her
seeming focus on her outward
appearance.

“passing”

Will we see a wider exploration of LGBT characters and LGBT love in
the film and television in the future? One can hope so. With more
people working up the ranks of the industry, it only grows inevitable
that more diverse stories will be greenlit, especially when studios begin
to see the lucrative effects of embracing such stories. But for now, the
battle is still being waged against the

“White Men’s Club” that dictates

just how much of the rainbow audiences will be allowed to embrace.

INTERRACIAL

Daniel Wu and Madeleine Mantock in the Nov. 15, 2015
episode of Into the Badlands. Photo Credit: Patti
Perret/AMC

People of color have had a boon on television, and with the recent developments
with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences taking a big step towards
increasing its membership of people of color (as well as women of all races and
people of other marginalized backgrounds),

“diversity” has been the buzzword

du jour. But how far have we gotten in terms of said diversity, and has any of that
diverse outlook spread over into telling complex stories, such as stories featuring
interracial relationships? The numbers GLAAD compiled in their television
audits proves that while 2015 was a banner year for POC characters, there’s still
a long way to go.

colleague Andy Brooks liked her, but
the feeling was one-sided, and if you

want to get into the endgame scenario,
it’s more than likely that Abbie will

Horsford, doesn’t want her daughter
with a white man).

like a lot of interracial pairings, but in
reality, the tally of the relationships
named here only equals 25 (26, if you
want to count the other Annalise and
Beaumont from FOX’s Rosewood,
because they are only a stone’s throw
from becoming an item). That number
seems like a lot, but many of these
couples listed are in the same show,
which illuminates exactly how sparse
representation for interracial
relationships is on multiple shows and,
by extension, multiple networks.
Compare this simple anecdotal
evidence to the possible hundreds of
same-race pairings there have been
between 2012 to 2015, much less the
large number of same-sex
relationships highlighted in 2015
alone.

Film has fared even worse than this;
rarely does film focus on interracial
relationships, and when it does, many
times it’s in a basic, sometimes clumsy

“race relations 101” way that doesn’t
do anyone any good in the long run.
Tyler Perry’s 2013 film A Madea
Christmas, for instance, has an
interracial relationship in it by way of
characters Lacey (Tika Sumpter) and
Connor (Eric Lively), but the film is
less of an exploration of interracial

But there are some movies that

landscaper Kenya hires to fix her

earnestly attempt to show the ups and

backyard) as well as different races

downs in interracial relationships and

and therefore, different racial

interracial acceptance (including

upbringings. There are some

family and friends). One example is

interesting moments in the film, such

Ashton Kutcher playing off Bernie

as when the two characters get in a

Mac’s protective father character in
the 2005 comedic remake of Guess
Who’s Coming to Dinner, called

white hillbillies for the comedic factor
(as well as set up an extremely soap-

heated argument while in line at the
grocery store after Brian states
something that could be considered an

Guess Who. There are tons of funny

insensitive racial remark, leading

scenes of racial and cultural

Kenya to say something racially

misunderstanding, such as when

insensitive as well. But there are

Kutcher’s character Simon gets on a
roll of making the family of his

downbeats to the film, including the
almost comical focus on sex (which

fiancee (played by Zoe Saldana) laugh could be argued is being portrayed as
at racial jokes, until he goes too far

wilder and fetishized because it’s sex

without realizing it. But there are also

between two different races) and the

moments in which Mac’s character
Percy has a heart-to-heart with Simon
about what it’ll be like marrying a
black woman, particularly when
people won’t see eye-to-eye with an
interracial relationship.
2013’s The Best Man Holiday also
attempts nuance through Nia Long’s
character Jordan's relationship
with Eddie Cibrian’s character

seemingly out-of-date portrayal of
Kenya’s family and friends, many of
whom frown upon her dating a white
man.

Some of these tropes come up in Spike
Lee’s 1991 film Jungle Fever, but it
could be argued that they are better
analyzed, seeing how Wesley Snipes
and Annabella Sciorra’s characters
Flipper and Angie both try to find

Brian. Jordan is not only concerned

themselves within their affair, which

with how her friends interact with

tests the limits of how far they’ll go

Brian, but if she's the right woman for

beyond monogamy (both are promised

commitment. But still, it could be

to other people) and their racial

argued that more could have been

boundaries before they decide to stay

done to explore the relationship.

within societal norms. The film, like
Something New, also has an exclusive

relationships and more of an avenue to
get Madea to interact with southern

black family, Baker’s character Brian
from the working class sect and the

end up with unwitting time-jumper
Ichabod Crane). Spelled out, it seems

powerful accountant from a powerful

One film that attempted to show the

scene focusing on Flipper’s black wife

nuances of interracial relationships

Drew (Lonette McKee) and her

was Sanaa Hamri’s 2006 film

friends, who talk about whether or not
they’d date outside the race. Some say

operatic reveal as to why Lacey’s

Something New. In it Sanaa Lathan

mother Eileen, played by Anna Maria

and Simon Baker play two people who the wouldn’t mind, while Drew
come from different sides of the tracks specifically says she’d never date
(Lathan’s character Kenya being a

outside her race for social and political

storyline, not any differences between

reasons (such as her statement that a

the two parents. Also, if you want to

strong black woman needs a strong

get really specific, the Night at the

black man, which leads one to think

Museum franchise features a

that she assumes someone who dates

relationship between Teddy Roosevelt

outside of the race is a race traitor).

(Robin Williams) and Sacagawea
(Mizuo Peck), and despite what we

While Flipper and Angies’s

know about the real life counterparts,

relationship goes kaput, having been,

including the fact that they weren’t

aside from extramarital, only founded

even in the same time period, their

on fetishized sex in the first place

wax stand-ins weren’t written with

(with each thinking that sex with the

any racial or cultural boundaries

other would be wilder and more

interlaced between character quirks.

untamed), Lee decides to show how

Again, it’s just a relationship based on

simple love regardless of race can be,

mutual attraction.

when Paulie (Angie’s ex-boyfriend,
played by John Turturro) and Orin

Will 2016 offer up any nuanced

(one of Drew’s friends) decide to

representations of interracial love? It’s

become an item with a simple

difficult to say, but hopefully in the

conversation. Paulie also had the talk

future, beyond 2016, we’ll see more

about dating outside of the race with

focus on love that doesn’t live within

his friends and family, and many of

racial guidelines.

them, he was mildly shocked to find,
weren’t open to dating black women at
all, at least not for a long-term
commitment. This conversation, and
the conversation Orin had with her
friends, cements in their mind that
they don’t want to be close-minded or
racist at all; if love is what they
wanted, then love was what they
would find, whether that was with a
black person, white person, or a
person of any other race.
2014’s Infinitely Polar Bear, starring
Mark Ruffalo and Zoe Saldana, is
probably the only film in recent years
to have an interracial relationship and
not make it the priority of the
storyline. Their characters are indeed
in a relationship, but the state of their
family and their children’s lives comes
first and foremost in the

Five Groundbreaking
Portrayals of Interracial
Relationships
Lucy and Ricky Ricardo ("I Love Lucy")
portrayed by Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz
First interracial couple on television

Cinderella and Prince Charming, Queen Constantina and King Maximillian
(1997 "Cinderella")
portrayed by Brandy and Paolo Montalban, Whoopi Goldberg and Victor Garber
First portrayal of a multiracial Cinderella, first portrayal of interracial couples in Cinderella

Showing representations of interracial relationships is necessary in order for fans to be able to see themselves and their
lives represented on screen. But, like with any representation of any group, there comes a set of responsibilities. One of
the responsibilities that comes with representing interracial relationships is deciding exactly what message you’re going
to send and how deep you’re going to dive into the challenges that can come with certain interracial relationships. By

“certain,” that means relationships that are based on fetish and not actual love.
Representations of interracial relationships will, at their best, show how people of any race and culture can find
common ground. But it’s also pertinent to show how a person can bring their own racial baggage into a relationship
that’s supposed to represent racial and social unity. One relationship that can be meta-read as being a relationship based
solely on fetish is Fitz and Olivia from Scandal. Fitz and Olivia’s relationship is one that is, at its core, lustful; it’s an
extramarital affair while Mellie, Fitz’s wife, stews in anger. But for viewers who are also readers of history, there is an
uncomfortable undertone of racial and power-based domination being forced onto Olivia by Fitz.

Kiara Moore wrote in her article for the site The Elizabethian,

“Why the SCANDALous ‘Olitz’ Needs to End” that Fitz

has used his power as President to keep Olivia at bay even though she has wanted to move on plenty of times.

“Remember when Cyrus and James

white men. Olivia has a naive sense of

Season Four to address the guys Olivia

Novak had baby Ella's christening,

what a mate should be. In short, she

gets involved with.

when Fitz chased Olivia down the

wants her men to be perfect knights in

these boys, Olivia, and they may even

hallway, and they proceeded to have

shining armor who will save her from

love you. But they are not your

hate-filled sex in the electronics

herself. In a masochistic turn, she also

family,” he tells her.

closet? Let's not forget the disgusting

lives from drama, which makes her

go to battle for you. They, perhaps,

way Fitz treated her afterwards,” she

want men that will ultimately hurt her.

might even kill for you. But after the

What is interesting (and someone

conquest, after they've enjoyed the

used his limitless power as President

lends more credence to the Olivia’s

spoils, they will move on to other

of the United States to summon her.

own worry about the

battles, other conquests, other spoils.”

How are you supposed to get over

Hemings/Jefferson look of her

Of course, Rowan is also saying this to

your ex-boyfriend and move on when

relationship with Fitz) is that Olivia

manipulate Olivia into loyalty to him;

he literally won't let you? It's easy to

seems propelled to constantly find this

again, there’s always a man

wrote.

“Or the myriad of times Fitz

see these gestures as a man hopelessly type of man in white men. This is not

“You may love

“These boys may

dominating Olivia. But for whatever

in love, but even Olivia knew the

to say that white men are Jefferson; far reason, Olivia tends to act out her

disturbing implications when she told

from it. The problem is with Olivia

father issues exclusively on white men

him, "I'm feeling a little, I don't know, herself; for some reason, she has

in power. Probably because Olivia

Sally Hemings/Thomas Jefferson

herself has terrible ideas about power.

fetishized white men in power as

about all this." The reference Olivia is people who can dominate her.
using is the

“relationship” between

Jefferson and his slave.

Olivia equates power with being
outside of the mainstream, hence her

Like how the show analyzes Fitz’s

job as a

“fixer.” But she also seems to

issues, Scandal takes a look at Olivia’s associate power with assimilation and
It must be said that Hemings was a

problems as well, usually through

slave, she didn’t have a choice in who Olivia’s father Rowan. Earlier in the

acceptance, and a white man in power
is the ultimate form of assimilation.

she would be in a relationship with.

show’s run, Rowan takes Fitz to task

Olivia constantly wants to live beyond

Jefferson was an abuser. Of course,

for white privilege, calling Fitz a

her parents - both murderous,

Hemings and Olivia are women in

“boy” and a spoiled brat who didn’t

scandalous people themselves - and

completely different circumstances;

have to work hard to get where he is.

become her view of greatness, which

Olivia’s a free woman who initially

When explaining Rowan’s rant to

is to be accepted. However, instead of

chose to follow through with the affair Buzzfeed, actor Joe Morton said of his

dates white men - I saw it as Kaling
Jung acknowledges other criticism of

making a conscious decision to refute

the show, stating how others have

the stereotype that South Asians can

asked for Mindy Lahiri to date other

only date other South Asians...To me,

men of other races. "But the problem

it's refreshing to see an Indian

here is not that Lahiri exclusively

American woman on TV dating white

dates white men. It's that there is never men because it challenges the
any confrontation of race within these

audience's assumptions of Indian

Both examples do showcase
important moments in which
the media sparks
conversation about the role
fetish can play in some
interracial relationships.

The Future of On-Screen
Interracial Relationships
Interracial dating has been around forever; it’s only in recent memory that interracial
dating has begun getting on the media radar. However, it needs to get on the radar even
more. There is still that moment when someone watching a TV show or film will think,

“Oh, so they put her with him?” The fact that people are still surprised by interracial
relationships on screen show that there’s still more work to do. Entertainment only
reflects what society provides, and if entertainment is still showing a lack of nuance
when discussing interracial relationships, then that only means that society, as a whole,
hasn’t come as far as it thinks it has in accepting interracial relationships, even though
interracial relationships have become the norm for America. More likely than not, we
all know someone who is in a relationship with someone outside of their race; why is it
that their lives aren’t seen as viable for representation?

The country is fastly approaching the moment when the groups that are considered the

“minority” will be the majority. America is also quickly becoming racially mixed.
National Geographic states that most of America will be biracial or multiracial by
2050. With that stat out there, it would behoove Hollywood to cater to this
demographic, because this demographic is America. But Hollywood would move
faster if society decided to stop treating interracial relationships like a taboo or
something risky. Once society moves the needle and begins to accept interracial
relationships as just relationships, then Hollywood will follow suit.